The Ferret: English authorities under global scrutiny

That's not Northampton in Massachusetts, nor the one in Pennsylvania. The area in question is our very own Northamptonshire County Council in the East Midlands. Rarely can an English local authority have been the subject of a front page story in the New York Times.

The article was highlighting the situation in Northamptonshire to illustrate the wider funding crisis affecting local government in England. The in-depth analysis of the council's funding crisis - since February, it has been run by government-appointed officials and a moratorium imposed on spending other than statutory duties - assesses the role played by austerity in public sector finances and the impact it has had on local people. Despite years of cuts and closures to children's centres, youth clubs and playground facilities, one Tory councillor told the paper it was the prospect of all the council's libraries being closed that tipped him over the edge.

The situation has been portrayed by commentators as either gross mismanagement or a bellweather for the travails of councils across the land. The truth is probably a bit of both. It would seem that the world is now watching to see if other English councils suffer the same fate as Northamptonshire.

School ad pushing posh cars withdrawn

Flick through most glossy magazines at this time of year and you'll find an array of adverts for independent schools, keen to appeal to parents who can afford to pay for their child to get a private education. Most will talk up their outstanding academic results, world-class sports facilities and a learning culture that encourages deep thinking and leadership skills. All high-brow stuff that will justify fees of £23,000 a year.

However, Vinehall School in East Sussex took a more pragmatic approach to its marketing campaign - rather than selling the idea of developing a future Prime Minister or Nobel Prize winner, going to the school will mean a child can afford a better car than their parents!

The advert recounts the sad tale of a child rocking up to Vinehall's open day in his dad's Volvo and looking wistfully at the head's Jaguar. After graduating and doing "very well in business", the boy buys his dad a Jag as a retirement gift. Aspirational stuff!

Ferret can report that the advert was withdrawn.

Labour educates Tories on children's issues

Despite the furore over anti-Semitism and uncertainty surrounding Brexit, there was plenty of camaraderie on show at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. The shadow education team were certainly singing from the same hymn sheet, taking it in turns to have a dig at government ministers.

Emma Lewell-Buck recounted a recent Commons debate with opposite number Nadhim Zahawi. "Like most days, I left angry and confused - he didn't understand what children in need actually meant," she told a fringe meeting on children's services funding.

She passed the baton to shadow childcare minister Tracy Brabin who criticised the government's early years policies and described Zahawi as "hopeless". "We're holding the government's feet to the fire - but we're losing children's ministers hand over fist," she added in reference to there being three children's ministers in 18 months.

Finally, ex-shadow education secretary Lucy Powell questioned how out of touch ministers are when it comes to the plight of children's centres, hundreds of which have closed.

She recounted taking Education Secretary Damian Hinds on a visit of a children's centre in her Manchester Central constituency. "He asked, ‘who pays for all this?', to which I replied ‘the council'. It was like it was news to him."

Ferret thinks the Secretary of State needs to get out more!

Plug the gap - ‘because the kids are worth it'

Anntionette Bramble, the new chair of the Local Government Association children and young people board, was kept busy in Liverpool. The lead member for children's services at Hackney Council, spoke at numerous fringe events and showed she has a few gags in her locker too.

She channelled the spirit of L'Oreal when discussing why the government needs to address the £3bn funding gap for children's services - "because the kids are worth it". And when discussing the difficulties young people face in accessing support, she asked a delegate at the back obscured by a pillar to move so she could see her. "That's you having to navigate a structural problem - that's what young people are having to navigate," she added.

Three cheers for children's champion Kemmis

A big round of applause for children's services stalwart John Kemmis, who has been recognised for a lifetime dedicated to supporting children and young people. During a career that included 16 years at Voice, 12 of them as chief executive, he successfully lobbied for a legal right to advocacy for young people, helped establish the National Children's Advocacy Consortium and played an instrumental role in the development of national standards for children's advocacy services. He becomes the inaugural winner of the Stand Out Children's Advocacy Award at the annual National Advocacy Awards. John - the Ferret salutes you!